Prior to the beginning of the eighteenth century, organized popular sports did not exist in forms which would be recognizable today. The few professional athletes were aslo performs in events which had no universally accepted rules, much less regulatory bodies, regular places or schedules of competition, uniforms, leagues, or established followings. Amateur sport was similarly in a nascent stage, esoecially with respect to team sports for which the school, university, dubs, commercial and media structures which support them today had yet to evolve. Rowing was at the forefront of those sports which created the institutional infrastructure which characterizes modern amateur and professional sports. Read More.